MacGyver (plus) Webber
by I'mcalledZorro
Summary: How Matilda Webber came to be director of the Phoenix Foundation


A/N Another huge thank you to Gaelicspirit, for betaing this story. As always I don't own MacGyver and any mistakes are all mine.

Matilda Webber sat in her specially made, highly comfortable desk chair, in the Los Angeles CIA field offices, wishing she was back in the field, even if it meant working with the insufferable Jack Dalton again. She sighed, reminding herself that she only had a couple more years until she could cash-in on early retirement and take that cruise she had been eyeing for years, and by then Ethan would be finished with his op, and they could cruse off into the sunset together.

The shrill ring of her desk phone startled her out of her reverie. Of course, the caller ID said _blocked number_.

"This is Agent Webber."

"Hello, Matilda. It's Jim."

Internally Matty groaned; speaking of pains in the butt, here was another one. Ever since he had split from the CIA to start up his own agency James MacGyver had been trying to recruit her, but she was too close to that cruise to jump ship now.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Jim that I don't want to work for the DXS. I actually like having a badge."

"I'm not calling about that, but if you decide you want in…." He trailed off.

"I believe Thornton's doing a fine job, as far as I can tell. What do you want?"

"A favor."

She was intrigued; Jim rarely asked for a favor in all the years she had known him. "What do you need?" She was all business now.

"Angus decided to join the army. He's an EOD specialist." Matty detected a hint of pride over his son's accomplishments. "His training officer, who he was working under, just died in an accident. I want to make sure he gets a competent Overwatch and comes home safe, I have plans for him. Is there anyone you can recommend for the job?"

Matty sighed; one guy immediately came to mind, but she wasn't sure where he was stationed. "I'll have to do some checking, but I have someone in mind. Give me the details where your son is stationed, and I'll see what I can do." As she wrote down the information James gave her, she knew Dalton would be perfect for the job. The nuisance had a way of growing on you, kind of like a mold. "OK, let me make a few calls and I'll let you know what I find out."

Sighing, she hung up the phone. She had been pushing the man for years to actually _talk_ to his son instead of being a shadow in his life, and here she was helping him play puppet master. But she knew if Dalton was assigned as Overwatch, he was nobody's puppet. Jim would come to find that out soon. Trying to decide who to call to get the info she needed, she elected to let her fingers do the talking. Soon, she had one Jack Waytt Dalton's service record pulled up, and just like that she determined he was indeed stationed in the same base as Angus. She called Jim back.

"I have a candidate in mind and he is already at the same base as Angus. His name is Jack Dalton, former Delta, former CIA, and has a 100% success rate as Overwatch."

Jim was silent for a few seconds. "What aren't you telling me Matilda?"

She shook her head; he knew her too well. "I used to be his handler when I worked in South America. He's a bit of a loose cannon, and we had a falling out…to put it mildly. He's the one that gave me the nickname Matty the Hun. Charming. But I guarantee he will do his best to keep Angus safe."

"Thank you, I owe you one. And you always have a job offer at the DXS."

Laughing, she hung up on him.

 **Several years later, on a beach in Tahiti**

Matty had just gotten a fresh Pina Colada from the attractive pool boy, wishing it was Ethan who was serving her drinks, and settled into the beach chair when her phone rang. Groaning, she picked it up. The display read _James MacGyver_. He knew she was happy at Homeland, and she intended to keep it that way, but she owed the man, so she reluctantly took the call.

"I'm on vacation," was her greeting.

Instead of his normal, somewhat jovial voice, he sounded very upset. "I need you Matty."

She was immediately on high alert. Sitting up and taking off her shades she said, "What's wrong?"

A deep sigh emanated from her phone. "Thornton is a traitor."

Matty couldn't help but gasp.

Jim continued, "I'll save you all the details right now, but Angus' team brought her down. With some help from the CIA."

Matty couldn't help a smirk at that admission. She heard another deep sigh, and the sound of ice clinking against glass. Matty figured he was drinking his favorite Tennessee Whiskey which he only broke out when he was highly stressed.

"I know you've turned down my job offers more times than I care to count and that you are happy at Homeland, but right now I need someone I can trust to be Director and untangle this mess that Thornton left. There is no one that I trust more than you."

The words meant a lot to her; dang it, he had her. But, she was going to make him work for it. "I might be willing, with a few conditions." With that she leaned back into her chair and slipped the glasses back on. It was time to get negotiating.

 **A month later in James MacGyver's top-secret office (yes it did have its own private elevator)**

Jim sat in one of his plush armchairs, Matty in the matching one across the large coffee table, strewn with all sorts of documents.

"So, Matty, what is your assessment of the damage that Thornton did?"

Matty rubbed her forehead, where a headache was forming. For the past week, she'd either been in a meeting with all the personnel of the Phoenix Foundation, or going through the massive amounts of paper work.

"It's not as bad as it could have been, honestly." She kicked off her shoes and made herself comfortable in the chair. Up here, she didn't have to keep her Big Bad New Director face on.

"It seems she was mostly skimming information and selling secrets. I haven't found any indication of any moles she may have planted, but there are several people who I don't feel like need to continued to be employed here." She shoved a small stack of folders towards Jim. "I've also found evidence that she was indeed the one to hire Murdoc to take out Mac."

Jim nodded. "I figured as much. Lately, I haven't been as hands-on as I should have been. I also have been reviewing personnel files, especially ones brought in under Thornton's leadership I didn't personally vet. Here are a few that I want you to fire for me." He slid a stack of five folders towards her.

She slid off the chair and picked up the files, leafing through them. "These three will be fired first thing tomorrow, but I want to keep Wilt Bozer and Rose Ayers. "

Jim huffed, reminding Matty of his son. Neither of them liked to be questioned. "Wilt was a fry cook before Murdoc went after him, what value is he to us? Not to mention he's as green as they come. Most of our employees at least come from an agency or military background. As for Rose, there are a couple of discrepancies that worry me."

"Remember our deal, Jim," Matty reminded him. "Bozer stays. Besides being your son's best friend, he is a master of disguises and with a bit of shining up, I think he will make a fine agent! I've investigated those discrepancies in Rose's file and have talked to her at length. She's proven to be a valuable member of our computer team, and her past associations are firmly in the past."

"Fine. Rose can stay, but Wilt needs to go," Jim acquiesced.

"No, he is staying." Matty was firm about this. Her meeting with the young man had impressed her very much, as had him standing up to her, and she saw a bright future ahead of him.

Jim sighed, getting up and pouring himself a drink. He held it up silently asking if she wanted one; after her nod, he brought the two glasses over and handed one to her.

"Ok, fine. We will keep him on a probationary basis. If he does well, then we will send him to spy school and make him a full agent." He took a long drink.

Matty smiled and took a sip of her own drink. "I think that sounds great, Jim."

"Of course you do, it's your plan!"

She couldn't deny that. Smiling, she took another sip; she had to agree with Hannibal Smith, She loved it when a plan came together!


End file.
